SETI in Science Fiction

Abstract

For more than a century, authors have imagined contact with the alien and its consequences. As a science fiction (SF) author, I am pleased to review in this chapter various concepts of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) and its role in human destiny as explored in science fiction. In particular, modern fiction based on the scenarios envisaged in SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) methodologies is considered in detail. SF has bequeathed a bank of thought experiments that might be used to guide the development of future strategies and policies.